ANTIOCH, Calif. (KERO) — A public defender wants to review thousands of prior convictions by the Antioch Police Department in California.
Attorney Carmela Caramango represents Terryonn Pugh. His arrest two years ago in an attempted shooting is now part of a new investigation.
"It is clear that the Antioch Police Department has treated that community like a war zone and the community members as though they were hostiles."
A 14-page report prepared by the Contra Costa County District Attorney's office and obtained by ABC7 news reveals a series of text messages exchanged between Antioch police officers as they relate to both his case and others.
- Officer Eric Rombough texted: "Sooo many black people."
- Officer Jonathan Adams replied: "Bro. They all look the same."
- Rombough: "Tell me about it. I feel like I'm at the zoo. I hate these idiots."
"But the 14-page report shows that my client and one other individual were not only compounded with overarching racial hatred but they were specifically targeted during the course of the investigation," responded Caramagno.
Six days into their investigation there was this exchange.
- Rombough: "Bro my foot hurts lol."
- Adams: Did you kick the guy?"
- Rombough: "Yup like a [expletive] field goal."
The report also documents officers taking pictures of Pugh's naked backside while he was hospitalized and texted those photos as well.
Caramango believes that given the number of officers involved, they could be considered a police gang under California law.
"Government Code 10-29 and Penal Code Section 13670 and it seems to me a lot of what we have meets the definition of a law enforcement gang."
Ellen McDonnell is the chief public defender in Contra Costa County. She is calling on the district attorney to dismiss all Antioch cases and review the thousands of prior convictions by the Antioch Police Department.
"Approximately 40 percent of Antioch's police officers are engaging in these vile text chains. At least 45 officers are on the text chains of what's been disclosed thus far. Sixteen of them are in leadership roles or leadership roles such as detective or sergeant," said McDonnell. "That's because there simply cannot be trust or confidence in the police work coming out of the Antioch Police Department knowing that officers are falsifying their police reports, that they're targeting and brutalizing black and brown members of the community."
